RADAR at UCLA

Club RADAR which stands for Rheumatic Awareness, Disability Advocacy and Reform is a club focused on creating an environment for both disabled and able-bodied peers to discuss the inaccessibility of academia and careers beyond. 16.4% of those living with disabilities in the US, graduate with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and half of those graduates do not find work. A huge influence in this outcome is the stigma surrounding disability and the inaccessibility of careers in STEM and the Humanities. RADAR has partnered with the Arthritis Foundation to provide support to disabled students and allies that want to increase accessibility in their respective fields. We are a career and advocacy focused club and will have seminars that will help educate our members on disability visibility and the disabled history that has lead to the biases prevalent today. In addition, we will be working with the Arthritis Foundation to raise money for research and networking opportunities for people with rheumatic diseases. Arthritis is the biggest cause of disability in the US and our president was born with Rheumatoid Arthritis which is why we chose this organization. Finally, we will be hosting advocacy workshops where we will write letters to legislators and attend town halls in hopes of encouraging our political leaders to pass laws that benefit disabled people. If you are interested in expanding your understanding of disabled culture, feel free to check us out!

https://www.radaratucla.org/
RADARatUCLA@gmail.com

Signatories: Natalie Santillano, Danny Velasquez, and Jesus Gonzalez

Advisor: Pamela R Cysner